Agenda and minutes

An apology for absence was received from Councillor Fairclough.

Members are requested at a meeting where a disclosable pecuniary interest or personal interest arises, which is not already included in their Register of Members' Interests, todeclare any interests that relate to an item on the agenda.

Where a Member discloses a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest, he/she must withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest, except where he/she is permitted to remain as a result of a grant of a dispensation.

Where a Member discloses a personal interest he/she must seek advice from the Monitoring Officer or staff member representing the Monitoring Officer to determine whether the Member should withdraw from the meeting room, including from the public gallery, during the whole consideration of any item of business in which he/she has an interest or whether the Member can remain in the meeting or remain in the meeting and vote on the relevant decision.

The following declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests were made and the Member concerned left the room during the consideration of the following items:

Minutes of the meeting held on 27 May 2021.

Decision Made:

That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 27 May 2021 be approved as a correct record.

Report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health in relation to the strategy for the re-commissioning of Supported Living services. The report explained that supported living was a package of care consisting of a combination of suitable accommodation with some form of care and support on site or as in reach care in order to support people with disabilities to live independently in the community rather than in a residential setting.

The proposed approach to the care and support contracts detailed within the report was intended to promote independence for the residents of Sefton and in so doing support them to live the life of their choosing within their local communities.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Councillor Cummins welcomed the report and stated that the proposed approach created greater opportunity for the Council to work with Stake Holders and Service Users in co producing a suitable model of supported living.  

Decision Made:      That the Cabinet:

(1)      approved the strategic commissioning approach with regards to the care and support contracts for Supported Living;

(2)      approved the Direct Award of temporary contracts for 12 months to current providers of Supported Living;

(3)      granted delegated authority to the Executive Director of Social Care and Health in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services to award the contracts; 

(4)      approved the commencement of a procurement process in line with Public Procurement Regulations which will secure a suitable local purchasing system to beused to source Supported Living Care and Support provision from August 2022;

(5)      granted delegated authority to the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services to award the contracts; 

(6)      delegated decisions in relation to the authorisation of call off from the contracts for individual packages of support to senior managers within Adult Social Care, based upon the scheme of delegation; 

(7)      granted approval, should it be required and only should an existing provider of Supported Living support and where provided Community Support provision exit the market, for a direct award to be provided to an alternative provider in order to sustain continuity whilst the new purchasing arrangements are developed; and 

(8)      noted that the Supported Living Strategy will apply to services commissioned by the Council and the Clinical Commissioning Groups in relation to Individual Placements and Packages.

Reasons for the Decisions:

·       The approach recommended to Cabinet will improve outcomes for residents with disabilities living independently in the community and enable the Council to ensure that both current and future commissioned provision to effectively manage the cost and quality of the services in Sefton.

·       This approach will ensure that provision is able to respond to the aspirations of people who use services including young people in transition who are seeking access to creative solutions which promote independence, reducing reliance on residential  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

Report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Care.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health in relation to the long-term vision and commissioning approach for Day Services in Sefton building on the model previously agreed by Cabinet in 2015 and taking account of the subsequent impact of the COVID 19 pandemic and the changing aspirations of young adults transitioning to Adult Social Care on these services.

The Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Councillor Cummins welcomed the report and stated that similarly to the previous report the proposed approach would create greater opportunity for the Council to work with Stakeholders and Service Users and their Carers by way of Consultation which will inform the way in which the Service will be co designed.

Decision Made:      That the Cabinet:

(1)       approved the commencement of an engagement and consultation process with stakeholders with regards to the vision and strategic commissioning of day services including the impact of any changes to the current delivery model;

(2)       approved the Direct Award of contracts to current day service providers on a temporary basis for a period of 12 months, based upon current values and spot purchasing arrangements, in order to manage quality and cost ahead of the completion of the consultation process;

(3)       approved the commencement of a procurement process in line with Public Procurement Regulations which will secure a suitable purchasing system to beused to source day service placements from August 2022; 

(4)       delegated the awarding of the contracts to the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care; and 

(5)    delegated decisions for the authorisation of call off from the contracts for individual places to senior managers within Adult Social Care, based upon the scheme of delegation.

Reasons for the Decisions:

To ensure that the commissioning approach and strategic vision is available and adopted to meet the needs of vulnerable and disabled people in our communities.

To create a sustainable and innovative market which supports the ambitions of our communities including those of our young people who are seeking more creative solutions for support during the day and services which can respond to these developing needs. 

To ensure that services are delivered to an agreed specification which aligns to the approved model for day opportunities.

To ensure that quality standards are monitored.

There is a need to ensure that provision established can respond to the aspirations of people who use services including young people in transition to adult services. The recommended approach to existing contractual arrangements will enable the Council to ensure that current provision is being delivered in accord with the approved model for day opportunities, is aligned to an agreed specification and contractual terms.

To ensure that services are commissioned appropriately in compliance to the Contract Procurement Regulations and that there is a legally complaint process in place to secure places.  The approach described will enable a systematic review of related contracts.  

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

To do nothing,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

Report of the Interim Head of Education and Excellence .

The Cabinet considered the report of the Interim Head of Education Excellence that detailed proposals in relation to conducting a tender exercise to establish a Framework Agreement for Hired Passenger Transport service providers in accordance with procurement regulations and the Council’s Contract and Financial Procedure Rules.

Reasons for the Decisions:

The current framework agreement is made up of 15 hired passenger transport companies, in 4 lots, divided up into vehicle seating capacity. The core period will expire on 31st December 2021.

As part of this process, approval will be needed for Cabinet Member Children, Schools and Safeguarding to have delegated authority to establish the Framework Agreement at the back end of the tender process.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

No alternatives. Based upon the level of demand from commissioning departments there is currently an ongoing need for the Council to provide passenger transport to some service users. As such, this procurement exercise and the subsequent establishment of a Framework Agreement provides the Council with the opportunity to procure services at the most economically advantageous rates, whilst also meeting the stringent Health and Safety and Safeguarding issues associated with transporting vulnerable adults and children.

Report of the Head of Economic Growth and Housing.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Economic Growth and Housing in relation to the introduction of the Government’s Restart Employment Support scheme and how this will operate in Sefton.

The report set out that Restart was the main employment supply activity to be commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions for the next five- year period, announced in the plan for jobs in July 2020.  Since the Summer 2020 the Department for Works and Pensions had conducted a competitive procurement exercise using a commercial framework to appoint a Prime Contractor to lead the provision for the North West area.  The successful Prime Contractor is G4S Ltd, they have chosen to work with Sefton Council through Sefton@Work.

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills, Councillor Atkinson stated that she welcomed the report and emphasised that there was a potential of 14.7m coming into the Borough to help and support residents and communities.

Decision Made:      That:

(1)           the Council be recommended to enter into a contract with G4S Ltd for the delivery of the Department for Works and Pensions Restart Employment Programme and that the Chief Executive in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills be granted delegated authority to finalise the terms of the contract; and

(2)           the Council be recommended to approve a supplementary revenue estimate of £1.576m in 2021/22 fully funded by income from Restart and note that future years allocations will be included in the budget report.

Reasons for the Decisions:

Sefton has experienced unprecedented job losses during 2020 which have seriously impacted our community resilience and this continues to cause financial hardship for many households who have lost their incomes. The longer-term effects of continuing high levels of unemployment are well known and are associated with ill-health, erosion of skills and social disadvantage and a diverse range of negative outcomes. This programme will support residents who have already experienced twelve months of unemployment and enable them to receive the help they need to get back into sustained work.

Acting as a delivery agent for Restart enables the Council to ensure that residents receive good quality services and the best interests of residents and businesses in the area are protected. If this contract is not delivered with Sefton Council as a sub-contractor, then other, less well-connected organisations will be given this opportunity for Sefton.

Sefton@Work is the Council’s trusted in-house job brokerage service which has provided quality employment programmes in Sefton for many years.  The main funding stream to support Sefton@Work since 2016 has been European Social Fund (ESF). The availability of ESF will cease after December 2023 when all UK involvement in European structural funding will end. Restart offers the opportunity for the Council to continue and expand its job brokerage and employment support activities through Sefton@Work at a time when our economy, hit by job losses as a result of the COVID-19-19 pandemic, needs high quality, impartial assistance more than ever.  

Sefton@Work operations are funded through a combination of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

Report of the Head of Highways and Public Protection.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Highways and Public Protection in relation to the procurement of Transport Technical Support Services.

Decision Made:       That the Cabinet:

(1)      approved the tender process to procure the provision of transport technical support services, to be published on The Chest using an Open Tender process, as outlined in the report;

(2)     authorised the contract period of 2 years from 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2023 with an option to extend on a year by year basis to 31^st December 2025 subject to performance; and

.

(3)      granted delegated authority to the Head of Highways and Public Protection to award the Contract resulting from the procurement and any extension, subject to consultation with Cabinet Member Locality Services.

Reasons for the Decisions:

The Council has an ongoing programme of strategic transport investment. Development of these proposals, including the preparation of business cases and funding bids, requires a range of technical capabilities and a requirement to respond at short notice to

bidding opportunities. The Council does not have the capability or capacity to undertake all the elements of work involved in developing and delivering this programme. It is proposed to procure a contract where the specialist services the Council needs to be able to develop and deliver the programme of strategic investment can be provided at short notice.

A contract has existed for transport technical support services since early 2018. This was a three year arrangement, extended for a further year, which will end in December 2021.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The provision of all the specialist skills and capabilities through an in-house team would require substantial additional recruitment which is not practicable within current budget constraints and controls on recruitment.

Individual schemes could continue to be procured individually and independently through separate procurement processes. This would require officer time and resources for each procurement. In some situations, the timescales imposed for submitting proposals and funding bids mean that a stand-alone procurement process is either not feasible or would substantially detract from the time available for completing the submission. This approach would also mean that there is much less potential to develop strong working relationships with an individual service provider and for them to develop local knowledge.

Report of the Head of Highways and Public Protection

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Highways and Public Protection in relation to the procurement of the Annual Service Contracts for Highways Maintenance Works.

Decision Made:      That:

(1)           the procurement of the Annual Service Contracts for Highway Maintenance Work be agreed based on the specifications referred to in paragraph 2.6 of the report;

(2)           the Head of Highways & Public Protection be authorised to approve the Short List of Tenderers for each Contract subject to the appropriate review of the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire;

(3)           the tenders be evaluated using the evaluation criteria set out in paragraph 2.4 of the report;

(4)            the Head of Highways & Public Protection be authorised, in consultation with Legal Services and Cabinet Member Locality Services, to award the Contracts to the highest scoring Tenderer; and

(5)           it be noted that the proposal was a Key Decision but had not been included in the Council's Forward Plan of Key Decisions.  Consequently, the Leader of the Council and the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Regeneration and Skills) had been consulted under Rule 27 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules of the Constitution, to the decision being made by Cabinet as a matter of urgency on the basis that it was impracticable to defer the decision until the commencement of the next Forward Plan in order that the most cost effective method of extending the contract could be utilised without further delay.

Reasons for the Decisions:

The existing Annual Service Contracts for a number of Highway Maintenance Works are due to expire in July 2022. The Anticipated Scope of Works that are likely to be delivered under the Contracts are of sufficient value that Cabinet approval is required.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

There are optional annual extensions, for up to four years beyond the core contract period, built into each of the existing contracts. The Council could decide to grant the extensions however this would result in price increases in-line with the provisions set out in the contract, whereas testing the market may produce savings and/or innovation.

Report of the Head of Highways and Public Protection

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Highways and Public Protection in relation to approval of the National Flood Risk Management Plan.

The report stated that the Flood Risk Regulations 2009 require the publication of a strategy to manage flooding areas designated at high risk, in Sefton this includes Southport, Formby and South Sefton. As a Local Authority who had measures in the last strategy (2015-2021) Sefton must review progress on these actions, this review is detailed in this report. The Environment Agency are leading on an updated strategy and have developed a series of measures to address flood risk. Prior to public consultation these must be approved by the relevant Local Authority.

Decisions Made:    That the Cabinet:

(1)           approved the review of 2015-2021 FRMP measures as detailed in Section 2 to the report;

(2)           approved the new measures for public consultation by the Environment Agency as detailed in Section 3 to the report; and

(3)           delegated the monitoring of this work to Sefton’s Strategic Flood Resilience Group.

Reasons for the Decisions:

New measures have been developed in conjunction with Sefton Council and seek to address key risks. Prior to the Environment Agency consulting on these measures they need to be approved locally by the relevant local authority. Progress on the previous measures are also reported to Overview and Scrutiny as part of the annual scrutiny of Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The Measures went through several iterations, but it is a legal requirement that they be produced for the new plan and reviewed for the old plan.

Report of the Head of Highways and Public Protection.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Highways and Public Protection in relation to the continuation of the North West Regional Coastal Monitoring programme that has been approved by the Environment Agency and allocations of grant funding that have been made. This report sought approval to include the capital grant into the capital programme from 2021 to 2026 with a total value of £5.699m. The allocation for 2021/2022 is £834,000.

Decisions Made:      The Cabinet recommended the following to the Council:

(1)      approval of the inclusion of the capital allocation of £834,000 into the capital programme for 2021/2022 and the associated supplementary capital estimate;

(2)      approval of the inclusion of future annual capital allocations (2022-2026), as outlined in this report, in the capital programme subject to annual confirmation from the Environment Agency; and

(3)      delegation of the acceptance and administration of the grant in each of the six years to the Head of In-House Operational Services.

Reason for the Decisions:

Grant to be included in the capital programme in accordance with the constitution.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None.

Report of the Executive Director (Place).

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director (Place) in relation to the Southport Theatre & Convention Centre.

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Skills reported that she welcomed the comprehensive report and looked forward to progressing future work.  Councillor Atkinson thanked Officers and all those involved  for all their hard work.

Decision Made:       That the Cabinet:

(1)           noted the current condition of the building and the required capital and revenue for any short-term opening;

(2)      agreed to progress with option 5 for the new Marine Lake Events Centre and adjacent water and light show, with subsequent reports to be brought to Cabinet and Council for procurement and final business case approval;

(3)      noted that The Town Deal Board have allocated £33.3m of capital funding (from the Town Deal of £37.5m) to the new Marine Lake Events Centre and water and light show;

(4)      noted that The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority supports the principle of allocating up to £20m to the new Events Centre, subject to a satisfactory business case being approved through the LCRCA’s assurance framework; and 

(5)      agreed due to the above recommendations not to pursue a short-term reopening of the current Southport Theatre & Convention Centre.

Reasons for the Decisions:

The reasons for these recommendations are to provide a new all-purpose Events Centre as part of the Southport Town Deal that will bring economic benefits to Southport and the wider City Region and be a driver for economic recovery after Covid-19

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

An option to re-open the STCC on a short-term basis was considered while the work for the new Events Centre is progressed. The report details this option with the anticipated risks.

Five options were also considered for the new Events Centre, and again all five options are included in the full report below. The assessment of these options identified the Preferred Option to be Option 5.

Report of the Executive Director (Place).

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director (Place) in relation to the three-year Business Plan for the fiscal years 2021/22 to 2023/24 for the Strand Shopping Centre, Bootle. As well as forecasts for each of these periods, the Business Plan includes outline strategy and short-term action plans for the future of the asset.

Decisions Made:    That the Cabinet:

(1)           approved the Business Plan for 2021/22 to 2023/24;

(2)           noted the content of the report and of the Business Plan, including the factors that could influence and impact upon the financial returns to the Council from The Strand, and the outline strategy and action plans proposed to manage and mitigate these; and

(3)           recommend to Council that Council approve a supplementary capital estimate of £795k (£640k in 2021/22, £115k in 2022/23 and £40k in 2023/24) to be supported by borrowing and funded from within the business plan cashflow.

Reasons for the Decisions:

The council’s objectives for the acquisition of The Strand in 2017 were to ensure that it was supported to continue its role in the local community, as a key asset at the heart of Bootle critical to the town’s physical, economic and social regeneration.

Since the start of the spread of COVID-19 in the UK in March 2020, the regular weekly and monthly monitoring of the operations of The Strand have indicated increasingly severe impacts of the pandemic and associated government restrictions on the operations of and financial returns from The Strand. Despite continued uncertainty, this report and Business Plan provide an update on forecasts for the coming years, as well as short- to medium-term mitigants and actions.

However, operational decision-making must be made within the context of an approved Business Plan.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

Further delay to publication of a three-year Business Plan– despite continued uncertainty on the economic and regulatory impacts of the pandemic, and governmental and sectoral response, and continued impacts on The Strand, this was discounted given the importance of an approved Business Plan, and the expected continuation of uncertainty for the economy and for the sector for a significant period to come.

Report of the Executive Director (People).

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director (People) in relation to the development of a Child Poverty Strategy.  The report referred to the modernisation of the welfare system by Parliament in 2012  and Universal Credit which was established to reduce reliance on benefits and increase incentives to work. 

The report set out how over the last seven years Sefton Council and key partner agencies across the private, voluntary, community and faith sectors have worked collaboratively to mitigate the risk of the changes to the welfare system on residents in receipt of benefits. These efforts were increased in 2017 as Universal Credit began to be rolled-out across Sefton. 

As a result of the unprecedented times experienced due to the COVID-19 outbreak the impacts upon welfare reform and anti-poverty have been felt across Sefton’s communities.  The Welfare Reform and Anti-Poverty Partnership (WRAP) and Cabinet Member Reference Group has been, and continue to be, responsive to community needs and have been considering the evidence base and impact of child poverty within Sefton

The report also referred to the Council declaring a poverty emergency at its meeting 4^th March 2021, Minute No: 74 refers.

The Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing, Councillor Hardy stated that it was with a heavy heart she reluctantly welcomed the report and reflected on the journey Sefton Council had taken in mitigating the effects of the changes to the welfare system when the Council established a Welfare Reference Group.  Councillor Hardy referred to the importance of mapping poverty and intervening at Early Years/Childhood in order to improve better opportunities/outcomes for the Boroughs Children in later years.

Decision Made:       That:

Reasons for the Decisions:

To highlight the work of the WRAP Partnership and Member Reference Group and to gain approval for the development of the strategy.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None

Report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Chief Legal and Democratic Officer which sought approval of the appointment of Council representatives to serve on Outside Bodies set out in the report for 2021/22, or for periods longer than one year. Details of the proposed representation on Outside Bodies were set out in the report.

The Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, Councillor Moncur highlighted that reference to the North West Boroughs Health Care NHS Foundation Trust – Council of Governors had been included in the list of Outside Bodies in error and requested that it be removed. 

Decision Made: That:

Report of the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services in relation to the climate emergency strategy and associated action plan that was agreed by the Cabinet in May and September 2020.  The report is the annual progress report in relation to the Councils aim of achieving net zero carbon by 2030 and the programme of works supporting the Council’s transition to low carbon working.

The Cabinet Member for Regulation, Compliance and Corporate Services, Councillor Lappin referred to the excellent work being undertaken and thanked all Officers for their hard work.

Decision Made:

That the Cabinet noted the progress made on the targets in the Sefton climate emergency strategy and action plan.

Reasons for the Decision:

To support the delivery of the council motion that declared a climate emergency.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

Not acting would increase the risks to Sefton in future years, on the themes of energy security and climate change resilience (increased incidence of extreme weather events, sea level rise etc.)

(Councillor Veidman left the Meeting for the following 2 items of business)

Report of the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer services in relation to the disposal of three surplus assets that will form phase 2 of Sandway Homes development programme.

Decisions Made:    That:

(1)           the Cabinet approved the disposal of the following Council sites to Sandway Homes Limited:

(a)           Isle of Wight Farm, Southport – on condition that technical due diligence and a planning application is progressed in the 2021/22 financial year.

a)             Bootle High School, Bootle – on condition that technical due diligence and a planning application is progressed within the 2021/22 financial year.

b)             Foul Lane, Southport – on condition that technical due diligence and a planning application is progressed in the 2021/22 financial year.

(2)           further report(s) on the detailed terms and conditions agreed for the disposal of the sites be submitted to the appropriate Cabinet Member or Cabinet for approval in accordance with the Asset Disposal Policy; and

(3)           Sandway Homes Limited be permitted to incur expenditure of £0.200m in the development of the Phase 2 Business Plan and that this be included in the previously approved debt facility for Phase 1, be approved.

Reasons for the Decisions:

Sandway Homes is a key delivery vehicle to secure capital receipts to support the Council’s Framework for Change Programme. Cabinet previously approved on 9 January 2020 (Asset Maximisation Report) that the Isle of Wight Farm and Bootle High School be identified as being surplus to operational requirements and available for disposal. Officers have assessed other prospective sites and with the addition of Foul Lane, Sandway Homes will have three sites to form Phase 2 of their build programme. This will allow the Development Company to continue to provide new residential dwellings, including affordable housing, and generate capital receipts plus a share of profit (revenue return) to the Council

The Asset Disposal Policy details the route for approval dependent on the level of capital receipt agreed between the parties

The request for expenditure of £0.200m for Sandway Homes Limited enables the completion of the Phase 2 Business Plan.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

Option 1 – “alternative sites are offered to Sandway Homes”. 

Risk: current Council sites declared surplus are generally smaller sites or have associated timing issues, which means that they cannot be brought forward as quick. The impact is that the Council would receive a lower land receipt, lesser share of the development profit, and ultimately fewer affordable houses delivered in the Borough.

Option 2 – “the Company takes forward a smaller number of sites” in Phase 2.

Risk: the financial return to the Council will be reduced accordingly. There may be a requirement for Sandway Homes to retain a greater amount of the development profit produced by the remaining sites so that sufficient funding is available to enable technical due diligence and planning applications can be progressed.

Report of the Executive Director of Corporate Resources and Customer Services.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Executive Director for Corporate Resources and Customer Services and were advised of:

(1)              the current estimated financial impact of COVID-19 on the 2021/22 Budget;

(2)        the current position relating to the 2021/22 revenue budget; and

(3)        additional supplementary capital estimates to the Council’s capital programme.

Decisions Made:    That:

(A)              in respect of the Revenue Budget:

(1)       the current estimated impact of COVID-19 on the 2021/22 Budget together with the key issues that will influence the final position, be noted;

(2)       as in 2020/21, the use of Emergency Funding in 2021/22 be delegated to the Leader of the Council following advice from the Chief Executive and s151 officer, be approved;

(3)       the various Government grants that have been received to support residents and businesses which will be utilised in accordance with central government guidance, be noted;

(4)       decisions on the use of the discretionary elements of the Adult Social Care Infection Control and Testing Fund be delegated to the Executive Director of Adult Social Care and Health in consultation with the Cabinet Members for Adult Social Care and Health and Wellbeing, be approved;

(5)       the current position relating to the 2021/22 revenue budget, be noted;

(6)       the financial risks associated with the delivery of the 2021/22 revenue budget be recognised and acknowledged that the forecast outturn position will continue to be reviewed to ensure a balanced forecast outturn position and financial sustainability can be achieved;

(7)       the two supplementary revenue estimates set out in section 4, which are fully funded from the grants received, be approved.

(B)          in respect of the Capital Programme:

(1)      the supplementary capital estimates as set out in sections 5.1 to 5.3 of the report, be approved; and

(2)       the approval of the supplementary capital estimate as set out in section 5.4 of the report be recommended to Council.

Reasons for the Decisions:

To ensure Cabinet are informed of the current position in relation to the 2021/22 revenue budget, including COVID19 pressures and additional funding being made available to the Council.   

To seek Members’ approval of supplementary capital estimates to be added to the Capital Programme previously approved by Budget Council.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

None